When a book is on the verge of being released, the publisher sends out copies of the proofs to various dignitaries in an effort to get endorsements and blurbs. They ask the authors to do the same if they have any appropriate contacts.

I’ve gone through that process quite a few times, but I have never gotten endorsements like these. Therefore I can only conclude that the difference is due to the contribution of my daughter and co-writer, Mary Moerbe. So I feel that I can call your attention to these kind words without violating the tenets of humility, displacing the praise to her. OK, I’m embarrassed with what Chuck Colson says–all that “the greatest” this or that is, of course, ridiculous, but I have been told that he had read something I had written and been helped by it so he’s been a fan. The power and usefulness of the book is in the doctrine of vocation, which comes ultimately from the Bible and so is not something we can take credit for.

“Gene Veith is one of the most powerful thinkers and apologists in the Christian world today. In Family Vocation, Veith and Moerbe have really hit the mark—we must learn to think of marriage and families as vocations from God. Here is an ancient and sacred vision of marriage and family that we would do well to understand, promote, and most importantly live out.”

“A great president once referred to the family as the ‘unseen pillar of civilization.’ He was right, and so is Gene Veith in this luminous book, which underscores the centrality of family, marriage, and parenting. Timely and absorbing, this book arrives on the scene at exactly the right time.”

—Tim Goeglein, Vice President, Focus on the Family

“Family Vocation is a thorough and thoughtful look at family as a calling from God. Using Martin Luther’s teaching on family living as a starting point, Gene Veith and his daughter Mary Moerbe have produced a foundational book addressing all the callings of family life. In a marketplace in which so many family books only scratch the surface, Family Vocation digs down deep. The things I look for in a book on family are all here: a focus on nurture, the priority of internal change, and the power of grace and the gospel to enable. A worthy read!”

—Tedd Tripp, pastor, author, international conference speaker

“The phrase ‘gospel-centered’ has become almost a cliché when describing Christian writing. Every Christian author would desire such an epitaph for his or her work. However, in so many books, especially those dealing with family, gospel-centered deteriorates into ‘be like Jesus.’ Family Vocation is the epitome of what gospel-centered truly means. The authors introduce it plainly, ‘The gospel—that is, the message of Christ crucified for sinners—relates to every moment of the believer’s life.’ Every chapter has its foundation, built not upon what we do in our various vocations, but upon what God has done in Christ. This approach to vocation is the means through which Christian families can truly be strengthened and restored, and then bring their influence to bear on our culture.”

—James I. Lamb, Executive Director, Lutherans for Life

“The ageless questions we’ve pondered about marriage, divorce, sexuality, and parenting are asked candidly and answered faithfully by Veith and Moerbe in this timely application of Luther’s doctrine of vocation. The word family has been hijacked by our culture and Christians reel with each new and dysfunctional incarnation of the concept. What is family? What is marriage? What is God’s call to be a husband, wife, parent, or child? The authors offer rich, biblical responses to these questions and bring clarity to our understanding about cross-bearing love and sacrifice. Family Vocation is sure to find a home on the desks of pastors, teachers, and counselors who seek an engaging resource for Bible classes, spiritual care conversations, and godly counsel. This book leads the way to abiding grace and hope in God’s promises—a ‘need-to-read’ for Christian husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons!”

“Martin Luther identified marriage and family as one of three fundamental estates of human life instituted by God for the good of his creation. In this book, a father and daughter team up to bring Luther’s rich insights into the twenty-first century in a way that challenges and encourages Christians to see the family as the arena for God’s work. In an age when the fabric of the family is strained by cultural forces of self-interest and hedonism, this book suggests a way forward for Christian families to see life together as husband/wife, parent/child—encompassed in vocation lived out under the cross.”

“In the church today, there is no more significant issue than the family. This divine institution is in the crosshairs of every evil plan and purpose of the Devil himself. Take down the family, and with it go education, order, decency, law, church, and even faith. How my years in a struggling inner-city parish taught me that the gospel does not thrive in a community of chaos, dilapidation, crime, and disorder! The root cause of it, as I came to be convinced, is institutional and spiritual forces attacking the stability of God’s best agent for good in both the kingdom of the civil realm and that of the church—the family. What was once more commonly an urban reality has become a rural and suburban way of life. As we all struggle in the families we have—often rag-tag rings of sinners, sometimes a patchwork quilt of multiple families and forces—we need Christ and the vocation to forgive.”

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to explore what God’s Word says about marriage and family. Dr. Veith has long been able to show what God’s word has to say about things we consider to be ordinary and not religious in any way. In this book as in others, Dr. Veith has shown how the holiness of the Christian live consists in serving the neighbor, and what neighbor is closer than your own family?

This book also benefits greatly from the collaboration between Dr. Veith and his daughter, Mary, a mother of three and wife of a Lutheran pastor. Mary’s theological training shines, and her experience as daughter, wife, and mother adds to Dr. Veith’s own experiences.

5.0 out of 5 starsA great book on such an important topic, February 29, 2012

Dr. Gene Edward Veith is one of the foremost Christian thinkers today, especially among those of the more confessional end of Christianity. He has written works on vocation (God at Work), the arts, literature, C.S. Lewis, and a host of other topics. So it is with great joy that I saw him turn his agile pen to this topic.

Dr. Veith, along with his daughter, Mary Moerbe, approach this topic from the perspective of Christian vocation. God has called us to be His instruments in various ways and places in our lives. Husband, wife, son and daughter are some of the most fundamental callings that we as Christians have. But how do I understand this from the perspective of the Gospel, not just the Law and a “to do” list for me to feel guilty about? That is the question they seek to answer.

I look forward to more work from this father/daughter team, and hope that many will find comfort and life in this book’s pages!

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

http://theoldadam.wordpress.com Steve Martin

Oh yes you are!

Godspeed with the new book.

Best wishes and much success. (hate that word “success”, as a Christian…but you know what I mean)

http://theoldadam.wordpress.com Steve Martin

Oh yes you are!

Godspeed with the new book.

Best wishes and much success. (hate that word “success”, as a Christian…but you know what I mean)

And if I played a small part in teaching you (my big brother), the concept of Christian forgiveness and grace by eating your comic books, then you can thank me later.

http://www.geneveith.com Gene Veith

You did, Jimmy! You did! Our family experiences did indeed lie behind much of the book, as you will doubtless pick up. I was blessed with wonderful parents and, yea, siblings (despite the comic book incident, which, at some point, I will have to share with the world).

http://www.geneveith.com Gene Veith

You did, Jimmy! You did! Our family experiences did indeed lie behind much of the book, as you will doubtless pick up. I was blessed with wonderful parents and, yea, siblings (despite the comic book incident, which, at some point, I will have to share with the world).

http://www.caryschwarz.com saddler

I think you’re worse than me Dr. Veith. It’s taken me many years to simply say ‘thank you’ when accolades come my way because of my work. We Lutherans are not-so-good when it comes to accepting praise.

http://www.caryschwarz.com saddler

I think you’re worse than me Dr. Veith. It’s taken me many years to simply say ‘thank you’ when accolades come my way because of my work. We Lutherans are not-so-good when it comes to accepting praise.

http://caughran.blogspot.com Jeremiah Caughran

Dr. Veith, I’m excited about this book! I’ll definitely be picking it up in the bookstore that I manage. Your book, God at Work, revolutionized how I thought about vocation at a time when I needed a demonstration that I wasn’t making a mistake by going back to my old employer when I needed a job. I look forward to getting a copy of this book when I order some!

http://caughran.blogspot.com Jeremiah Caughran

Dr. Veith, I’m excited about this book! I’ll definitely be picking it up in the bookstore that I manage. Your book, God at Work, revolutionized how I thought about vocation at a time when I needed a demonstration that I wasn’t making a mistake by going back to my old employer when I needed a job. I look forward to getting a copy of this book when I order some!

http://carolmsblog.blogspot.com/ C-Christian Soldier

Mary and Gene-looking forward to reading your book- Carol-CS LA Lutherans for Life

http://carolmsblog.blogspot.com/ C-Christian Soldier

Mary and Gene-looking forward to reading your book- Carol-CS LA Lutherans for Life

David Bergquist

Is there a deal for ordering Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood in quanitity or by the case?

David Bergquist

Is there a deal for ordering Family Vocation: God’s Calling in Marriage, Parenting, and Childhood in quanitity or by the case?